Night & Day
by m.ashesfallingdown
Summary: Renesmee's point of view, over a decade after her birth. Story will follow the Cullen's, the pack, and Charlie and Sue, but mainly center around Jake and Renesmee.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

I tried to tell myself that I wouldn't miss it. That, somehow, after a few months had come and gone, I would no longer feel the nearly unbearable pain that even the idea of its loss brings.

I took a deep breath, trying to fill every inch of my soul with the scent of the trees, the water, the soil. The scent of home. My home.

"You still have a week, you know," he said, doing his best to keep his voice light and teasing.

Although my back was turned to Jake, I knew he was there. His scent was unmistakable to me now. I knew it better than my own.

"I know," I replied, not bothering to turn around and face him. "One week before..." I couldn't finish my own sentence.

"Wanna talk about it?" he offered, coming to stand next to me.

"There's nothing left to talk about. I knew it was coming, I knew we couldn't stay forever….it's just…." I broke my train of thought. "No, I definitely do not want to talk about it."

I caught Jacob nodding out of the corner of my eye, having been stubborn enough to keep my face forward since he came up behind me.

Jake's nod sent an all too familiar pang of guilt through my veins. For everything I was giving up to make the move, he was giving up double, triple even. He was leaving his family, his home, his friends, his pack. All to follow my family and I to another cold, remote part of the world.

"You know I'd come back and visit Jake, if you just stay here-"

"No, Renesmee," he said firmly, cutting me off. "I've already made my decision. Made it over ten years ago, now."

I closed my eyes, took another deep breath, and turned to face him head on. I hated when he talked about it, about us, like this. Like I was some chain he voluntarily chose to hang around his neck.

"That has nothing to do with this. You can make your own decisions based off what you want now. Ten years is a long time an-"

"And what, Nes? My decision to go is based off things I want now, the same thing I wanted ten years ago! Do you not understand that? Can you simply not fathom why I'm doing this?"

Jake's growing anger was feeding my own, my words getting twisted from the acid on my tongue.

For all the things that came easy to us, getting along was not one of them. Well, technically, that's not true. Jake and I do get along, really well actually. Just for short periods of time.

"You know what? I can't understand that. I completely do not understand why you're doing this, Jacob! I'm not worth it! Can't you see that one day you're going to wake up and see that I'm not worth the price you're paying? You're losing so much more than you're gaining, and I can honestly say, I do not understand it." My rant had burned the majority of the anger away, leaving me with just the realization of my newly spoken words.

Jake let me have my moment, searching my eyes when it was over. Maybe he was making sure my anger had truly passed or maybe he was just checking to see how sincere I really was. Either way, he quickly closed the distance between us to wrap his arms around my shoulders. Considering the size difference, this maneuver quickly had me enveloped in nothing but Jake.

"Stop the pity party, please. I'm pretty hurt that you don't think I know what I'm doing." His voice was light once again, no trace of anger detectable.

"I never realized how passionate you were about Canada. Do you already have the flag hanging up in your room?" I asked, my chuckle apparent even through the sarcasm.

"Please. The flag hanging on my wall? I do have some dignity you know," he replied, his voice as teasing as mine.

My laughter filled the minuscule space between my head and his chest.

"It looks so much better as a bedspread anyway."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Run! Seriously run and hide!" Alice said, barely finishing her warning as Jacob shut the front door of the main house behind us.

"Why? What's going on?" I asked, not really all that concerned after looking at my aunt's teasing smile.

"I tried to warn you…" She nearly sang, my mother suddenly standing behind her.

"Seriously, Renesmee? You couldn't cooperate for one moment?" My mother asked, more like demanded, completely annoyed.

"Oh! Mom, I seriously forgot! I was out at La Push and it completely slipped my mind," I quickly defended myself, suddenly recalling that I was supposed to go and see my grandpa, Charlie, today.

"You forgot? Go get in the car, young lady, before you forget again," she said, stressing the word "forget" as if it was some unfathomable concept. Well, to be fair, for her it was.

"We don't all have photographic memories," I murmured under my breath, well knowing my mother would hear.

"No. We are not having the "Who's a vampire and who's not?" argument right now. You knew that your grandpa was expecting you today and you're plenty old enough-"

"Bells, seriously, cut her some slack. She forgot, so what?"

"Don't tell me how to parent my daughter, Jacob Black! And you know what, next time I tell you to go find her, I do not mean take nearly an hour to bring her back!" My mom fired, her anger and annoyance doubling when she turned to lecture Jake.

My parents never yell at me. They've been close at times, but both of them are very good at keeping their tones calm and parental whenever talking to me. Jake on the other hand…. Well, let's just say it's a good thing he knows how to handle vampires.

"Bella, love, calm down. We're already late and Charlie's expecting us," my dad hushed, coming in from the door that led to garage. "The car is running Nessie, please obey your mother."

I nodded at my parents and turned to head out of the house and into the garage. We really did need to leave if they wanted to spend anytime with Grandpa.

"Your mom's sure on one," Jake remarked, rolling his eyes as I got into the back of my mom's car.

I just nodded, touching the side of his arm so I could show him the memory of my parents planning for the move, explaining that my mom was just really stressed out right now.

"Well, still." He rolled his eyes once more, although he seemed more understanding, or at least, more patient.

"Are you coming?" I asked, subtly trying to veer the conversation away from my mom.

"To Charlie's? Yeah, of course."

"Well…then get in the car."

Jake scoffed, "No, thanks. I'm not really looking to have a pair of vampire chauffeurs. I'll just run, probably beat ya there anyway."

I couldn't help but frown. "I'll just come with you then," I said, quickly regretting it as my parents came into the garage.

"Stay in the car, Ness," my mom said, quickly throwing a glare at Jake before hopping into the passenger seat. My dad took a deep breath, but said nothing as he entered the car as well.

Jake gave me the "Are we going to push the matter?" look I had begun to see a lot more of as of late, only nodding when I shook my head in a definite "no."

"Race you there," he mumbled, beginning to phase before he was even out of sight.

"'Bout time you showed up," Grandpa grumbled from his reclined position on the couch. It took him a few tries, but once standing he came to give Mom and I an awkward hug.

"Sorry, Dad. I tried to call and let you know we'd be late. Nessie decided she had some more important things to do this afternoon than be an obedient daughter."

Grandpa just chuckled, nodding his head as if he completely understood.

"Sorry Gramps, I forgot," I admitted, shrugging my shoulders a bit as if to simply excuse it.

"Yeah, yeah. The important thing is you're here now so we can finally eat some of that dinner Sue worked so hard to prepare."

"Oh, be quiet Charlie. Picking up a few pizzas isn't exactly all that hard, even for someone as incapable of cooking as you," Sue laughed, throwing me a kind smile as the Cullen Caravan made it's way into my grandparents tiny kitchen.

It didn't take long at all before the pizza's Sue had ordered were completely devoured, leaving behind only four, grease-stained boxes.

Over the past several years, I'd been trying hard to shift my diet from mostly animal blood to mostly human food. It really wasn't all that difficult, I mean, it's a whole lot easier to grab a glass of orange juice out of the fridge than to go and hunt a deer to drain dry, but my preference hasn't changed. I like the taste of blood. It's so much better than any human food I have yet to try, but that doesn't mean I won't still attempt to eat food as mundane as pizza. It must taste somewhat good to humans, Jake pretty much ate a whole box by himself.

"So, you ready kid?" my Grandpa asked, sitting down across from Jake and I on his recliner in the living room.

"Huh?"

"You know, for the big move and all of that," he continued.

"Oh, that. I guess, although I'm really going to miss Forks," I answered, trying my best to hide my true horror on the topic.

"Yeah, well, I don't blame ya. Canada's an awful far 'way place from everything here."

I nodded. He had absolutely no idea.

"It will be good, Nessie. And of course, we will come back and visit as often as we can," my dad promised, being as positive about the whole ordeal as he always was around me. I knew he was hoping some of his positivity would rub off, but there was no use. Operation Canada might as well be my death sentence.

"I'm counting on that. It's gonna be weird not having you guys in the same town as Sue and I. And Jake? I mean, he's gonna have to find a new foster family once you guys leave," Charlie laughed, eyeing Jake as he did so.

We couldn't help but laugh at this as well. No one wanted to be the first to explain the whole "imprinting" thing to Charlie, so as far as he knew, Jake was staying behind. It wouldn't be that hard to fake since Jake was planning to come back a lot to check on the pack and his family. Plus, Charlie mainly saw Jake because Charlie saw us. Take my family and I out of the equation and, well...It won't be a problem.

My mom and Sue came into the living room then, golden brown paired with porcelain white.

"Ness, if you and Jake plan on hitting Sam and Emily's tonight you better get going now. I still want you in bed before midnight," my mom reminded, motioning her head towards the front door.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. You ready to go, Ness?" Jake's words got stretched as he stood from the couch to stretch out his arms and back from sitting for so long.

I did the same, waving a quick goodbye to Grandpa and Sue and obtaining the car keys my mom was hesitantly handing Jake and I.

"Midnight," she said again, this time to Jake rather than myself.

"Sure, sure," he mumbled, throwing one of his massive arms around my shoulders and steering me towards the door.

He didn't start beaming until we were in the car, Grandpa's house fading quickly out of view.

"What are you smiling about?" I meant to be slightly rude, but my own voice was filled with the happiness his smile always brought.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello there! I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to read this story. I would absolutely love if you would comment and tell me what you think! This chapter took me awhile to write because I had to picture all the wolves ten years into the future from when Renesmee was born. Below is my take on what their ****families are like. I realize there are more wolves than what I have listed, but these are the ones mentioned in this chapter. Thanks again!**

**Sam-Emily**

**Anoki (Boy) 7, Mika (Boy) 6, Lucy (Girl) 4**

**Jared-Kim**

**Morgan (G) 5, Jade (G) 3, Sydney (G) 1**

**Paul-Rachel**

**Roman (B) 4, Austin (B) 4, Pregnant (G)**

**Seth-Jasmine**

**Pregnant (G)**

**Leah-Engaged to Mason**

Chapter 3

I quickly shut my bedroom door behind me, turning around to face my room. My room for a few more days, that is.

The majority of my stuff was already in boxes, same completely sealed and ready to be taken away, others still open, allowing me to easily dig through the contents inside. Like now, for instance, when I needed to find a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt to wear to the Uley's.

After a little bit of searching, I found both, quickly slipping out of my jeans-and-sweater ensemble and into the comfier clothing.

Technically, I was ten years old, turning eleven in a matter of weeks, but nothing about me looked to be my age. My grandpa Carlisle said I had reached the maturity of a sixteen or seventeen year old human, but I bet I could even pass for eighteen. Over the last couple years, my accelerated growth rate has all but stopped, much to my family's relief. If I was being completely honest, it was a relief to me to, but not in the same way.

I was relieved to finally just be me. To finally know I'd wake up tomorrow looking the same as I did today. It's like being on this crazy roller coaster for your entire life, and then, one day, stepping off of it and into this world you've only seen flash by you at the speed of light. Trust me, I couldn't have been happier to get off the roller coaster, but I'm still getting use to it. The roller coaster was my normal for so long that I can only expect it's going to take a while to recover from the whiplash.

Jake's voice suddenly came from right behind my door, "Ness? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah!" I hollered back, quickly sliding into my shoes before heading out of my room.

* * *

"Renesmee, Jake! It's so good to see you two!" Emily said, coming to throw her arms around Jake and I, the smell of werewolf strongly concentrated within the walls of her home.

"Hey, Em," I replied, having to remind myself that she was human as I put my arms tightly around her shoulders.

I have always considered both packs, Jake's and Sam's, apart of Jake's family. They shared blood that bound them together and love that kept them that way. He didn't talk about it much, but lately every time we were around the wolves I could see pain in his eyes. Leaving them is going to be so hard for him, heck, it's going to be nearly unbearable for myself.

After saying "hello" Jake and I went to join some of the pack in what some might call Sam and Emily's family room, although that description seems to imply more square footage than actually available.

"Hey, dude?" I questioned, rubbing the top of Mika's hair as we passed through the kitchen. "Aren't you going to give me a hug?"

Sam and Emily's second oldest boy just laughed and shrugged his little shoulders, quickly filling his palms with handfuls of goldfish before running off to find the other kids, their childlike laughter evident even from the kitchen.

"There's the traitors!" Paul bellowed, Jake and I both laughing as we went and crashed on the couch next to him and his wife Rachel, one of Jake's sisters.

"Oh, don't be so rude, Paul!" Jared laughed from the couch across from us, quickly catching on to the sarcasm. "There more like...betrayers." Jared grinned at his own comment, Paul laughing again, as well.

"Oh shut up," Jacob laughed, nudging Paul hard in the side. Even though I could clearly tell Jake put some force behind the action, Paul's chuckles barely wavered.

"Like you wouldn't do the same for Kim?," Emily laughed, shooting Jared a questioning look. That pretty much shut the two wolves up, both quickly looking to their wives in an almost apology.

"Canada will be good for you too," Rachel added, throwing me a smile that reminded me so much of her brother's. "Plus, it really isn't _too_ far." Her words were meant to be comforting, but that just made my heart skip a much-too-fast beat.

I let the voices of Jake, Paul, Jared, and Sam fade into the background. There ongoing discussion of how the packs were going to communicate and coordinate when one Alpha lived in Washington and one in Canada was nothing new to me. This was going to be a major adjustment for the wolves, especially Seth and Leah.

When it became evident that my family was going to have to move and that Jake would be moving with us, the two packs were told the plan. There was arguing, a lot of arguing, but in the end, all the wolves understood. They had all imprinted, Jake's justification couldn't be shaken. Of course, then we had to factor in the fact that Jake was the Alpha. At first, the decision was made that both Seth and Leah would be moving to Canada along with Jake. He was their Alpha, they didn't even seem to question it, but I continued to refused. I didn't want Jacob to make the sacrifice, let alone his pack! I argued, even pleaded with Jake to change his mind, but there was no use. It was one hybrid against three, there was no hope for a victory. That was, of course, until Leah got engaged.

Seth had imprinted on a local Forks girl a little over two years ago. Him and Jasmine were married only a short year later, currently pregnant with their first child. Despite my desperate pleas, Jasmine agreed with Seth that moving to Canada would be the best thing for their growing family. There was no resistance, absolutely none, until Mason finally popped the question and asked Leah to marry him. With his mother being native Quileute and his father born and raised a Seattle boy, Mason didn't want to leave Washington. Leah, thank the heavens, agreed with him, Seth and Jasmine doing the same by changing their minds soon after. Along with myself, my mom was thrilled to hear that the Clearwater's were going to stay behind. She knew it would be easier on my Grandpa Charlie and his wife, Sue, if some of their shared kids decided not to move hundreds of miles away.

"Nessie? Kim? Em?" Rachel spoke, forcing me to come back to the present. "Can I get your opinions on a few things? With nothing but boys at home, I could seriously use the help." She was laughing, but it was easy to tell that she was still being serious.

Emily, Kim, and I followed her to the kitchen where several magazines were opened to pictures of various cribs, other pages bookmarked with multi-colored sticky notes.

"What one looks the girliest to you?" Rachel asked, her eyes shifting from one picture to the next.

Emily just laughed, rolling her eyes at look in Rachel's. "You can seriously reuse one of the twins cribs, there's no need to go out and by a completely new one."

"Well, I know. It's just…. Well, she's my first girl and I just want everything to be perfect. Plus, I bought the twins their own cribs so I feel like it's only fair that she has one too."

"You ready to finally have another baby in the house?" Kim asked, smiling down at Rachel's growing belly.

Rachel laughed. "Well, I think so. We pretty much have the room ready, I just need to pick out the crib and the dresser. Oh! Look at this one!" Rachel stopped flipping through the pages to point at another picture

"If you want, you can use one of my girls' cribs. I really don't mind" Kim offered.

"Really? Oh, that would be just perfect!" Rachel squealed, throwing her arms tightly around Kim. "Are you sure you won't need it again? Syd is only one…."

Kim chuckled. "No. Jared and I are definitely done having kids. Our three girls are plenty."

"Well, great! I'll have Paul go over and grab it later this week!" Rachel nearly bounced as she shut all the magazines and put them aside, having solved the problem they were supposed to fix.

"Oh! Ren, I almost forgot!" Emily piped, turning towards me. "Would you and Jake mind watching the kiddos tomorrow? I know you're so busy with packing and the move…"

"We'd love too" I said, cutting her off. "It's no trouble, really."

"Thank you, you're a lifesaver" She breathed, her eyes easily expressing her gratitude.

"You and Sam got a hot date or something?" I asked

Emily smirked. "Actually, we're just going out to dinner with a good friend of mine and her husband. Nothing too fancy."

"Sounds like fun."

"Yeah, it should be, if Sam can get his attitude in check. Last time we had dinner with them, her husband just kept talking about all the wolves he's ever shot. The guy's like a die hard hunter, but that's all it took to put Sam in a bad mood."

"Sam? Grumpy? I can't even imagine that" Rachel joked, Emily happily agreeing with her.

"I know. It's hard to believe that he's not always just the happy, bubbly person we all see."

We all laughed. No one in their right mind would describe Sam as "bubbly."

"Yeah, well…" Emily continued. "I just try to think of it as solid material to add to my _How to Happily be Married to a Werewolf_ autobiography."

* * *

"You could be a father right now," I said to Jake, as we drove home from the Uley's. It was close to midnight, but with the speed Jacob was driving, we'd still beat the clock.

I could tell the comment caught him off guard by the way he suddenly shifted in the drivers seat, his eyes looking wearily towards me. "Are you trying to tell me something?"

"Sam, Paul, Jared, Embry, even Seth, are all parents, or about to be anyway. You're there same age, even older compared to some. That could be you. You could be a father, a husband…." My sentence faded as a shiver went down my spine.

"And whose husband would I be? Whose children could I be fathering exactly? Because, no offense, but you're not even eleven, technically, and although-"

"No, Jake" I murmured, quickly cutting him off. "Not me."

He was silent for a moment as my words sunk into his skin, his hands gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"Not you?" He questioned, almost angrily.

I silently shook my head, purposely keeping my eyes on the road ahead of us.

"No, absolutely not. It's you Renesmee, and I'm not even go-"

"You're seriously going to tell me that you've never even considered what your life would be like if you never imprinted on me?" I nearly yelled, cutting him off again.

Jake flipped the car around, smashing the brakes as he cut the engine on a small shoulder off the road.

"There's no need to stop-"

My sentence was cut short this time. "Do you want the truth? Of course I've considered what would have happened if I never imprinted on you! You just don't see it the way I do. If you had never been… If for some reason, I never…." He struggled with finding the right words to say. "Nessie, it literally _pains_ me to picture my life without you. I know you think it would be easier, that I'd simply fall in love with some other girl and live out my life with her, but you're wrong. Every ounce of my being was made to one day give to you. So yeah, I've considered it, but there's really not that much to consider. There would be no life for me if I hadn't imprinted on you."

At some point during our conversation, my heart started beating faster. I still didn't turn towards Jacob, but I dropped my eyes down to my hands. I wanted to tell him that he was just being melodramatic, that he was wrong, but I couldn't. So I said nothing, my racing heart the dominant sound between us.

Jake waited, waiting for me to agree or to argue back I'm not sure, but he ended up just pulling out his phone and restarting the car.

Instead of heading back towards Forks like I expected, he continued down the road to La Push.

"What are you doing? It's already past midnight, I have to get back home," I said, finally looking at Jake's face. It was smooth, emotionless for the most part. He didn't turn towards me or even acknowledge that I spoke.

"Jacob?"

"I just texted your Dad, told him you fell asleep at Sam's and that I would just bring you back to my place for the night." Again, no emotion.

"And why would you do that?"

He took in a deep breath and turned towards me. We were eye to eye for the first time since we even got into the car. "I'm angry with you and I don't really want your overprotective, over worried father picking my brain tonight."

I was too tired to throw another fit, so I just let Jacob have his way. We were silent for the rest of the drive.

Jake's house was dark, not that I really expected Billy to still be up, but in a family where I was the only one who slept at night, the darkness seemed out of place.

The silence continued as Jake threw a blanket and pillow onto the solitary couch in his family room, walking down the hall and into his room before I had the chance to say another word. Since when had I been demoted to the couch? While he still shut the door, I was slightly surprised he didn't slam it closed. Then again, that was probably out of courtesy for Billy rather than myself.

"Well, thanks," I murmured, throwing the pillow to one end of the couch and unraveling the blanket. The couch smelled like Billy. I would say it smelled like Jake as well, but his smell was slightly sweeter, more…. well, more like a vampire's. I almost laughed at the thought, almost.

I was still angry with Jake, but knew it wouldn't last much longer. He wasn't right, but he still had a valid point. His life _would_ be easier if he had never imprinted on me, that simply was the truth, I could not deny it. But do I wish he never had? A shiver ran down my spine. No, absolutely not.

It was selfish, but in a way I've always thought of him of _my_ Jake. I couldn't picture him with anyone else because I didn't want him with anyone else. Not that I didn't think there was someone out there that would be better suited for him, I just didn't want to run the risk of him ever meeting that "someone."

I couldn't even tell that I was so close to sleep until he started shaking my shoulder, slightly waking me up.

"Come sleep with me, alright? I don't like the thought of you out here by yourself."

I might have nodded, or I tried to anyway, before Jake easily swept me up into his arms, the blanket still tangled around me.

"Say you're sorry," I mumbled, half way coherent, my eyes still closed. I was too tired to put in the effort to remember if I even deserved an apology, or what we had been arguing about.

I could feel Jake's laughter more than I could hear it. "I'm sorry," he whispered, so close to my ear. "Goodnight, my beautiful Ness."

I was long gone before we even hit the bed.


	4. Chapter 4

**I apologize that it has taken me so long to post another chapter, but here it is! Please comment and tell me what you think!**

Chapter 4

_RING, RING, RING! _I rolled over, moaning towards the direction of the sound that woke me up. _RING, RING, RING! _Jake shifted as well next to me, his eyes remaining closed.

"Jake," I whispered, lightly shaking his arm. No response. "Jacob," I tried again, this time a little louder. He barely even moved.

An annoyed sigh escaped my lips as I moved to climb across Jake's chest, stretching to grab my phone from the pocket of his jacket that was heaped into a small pile on the floor.

**One missed call from Dad**, it read, followed by a notification that I had one new message from my father, as well. "Fantastic," I muttered, pressing my dad's name and waiting as my phone called his. I didn't have to wait long, seeing as my dad answered before the second ring was even finished.

"Renesmee," he spoke, skipping and introductory altogether. Luckily, he sounded more relieved than angry.

"Yeah, Dad, it's me. Sorry I didn't answer, Jake and I were still asleep." I didn't bother adding that Jake had still yet to open his eyes, although I knew he was awake. I was still laying across his chest, my elbows rising and falling with each of his breaths.

"Well, I apologize for waking you, although it is almost ten o'clock in the morning. Your mother and I were wondering what time you plan on coming back home," Dad spoke quickly, too quick for a human, but not for my heightened hearing.

I laid my palm flat on Jake's bare chest, showing him the question my dad wanted answered. He seemingly didn't move, but before looking away from his smooth face, I caught the minuscule shrug of his shoulders.

"Umm, I'm not really sure. Is there a specific time you would like me back?" I figured it was best to play good-child just in case my parents were any bit upset with the stunt I let Jake pull last night. Then again, they have never thrown a fit about me staying at Jake's before…

I heard my Dad talking to someone through the hum of the phone, my mom's tone of voice far more apparent than the actual words she was saying.

"If you plan on spending the majority of your day down at La Push, your mother and I are considering going hunting. We will stay close of course, in case you need us," he added the last part reassuringly, seeming to forget that I was darn near close to indestructible. "We were just thinking that it might be our last chance to hunt in Washington before-"

"Yeah, Dad, I get it. Of course it's fine if you guys go, I volunteered Jake and I to watch Sam and Emily's kids later tonight anyways." Jake shifted beneath me, reminding me that this was news to him, as well.

"Alright. Are you sure you don't want to come with us? Carlisle did say it would help you gain some weight back," he offered, reminding me of this once again.

Ever since I quit growing as fast as a dandelion, my Grandpa Carlisle agreed that taking my measurements once a day wasn't really necessary. He wouldn't give in to just doing without them completely, of course, but we did agree once every three months was a little more practical. My father's concern at the moment came about when I decided to switch my diet, quickly following the end of my growth spurt. Through all the measurements and calculations Grandpa had tucked neatly away in that perfect brain of his, it quickly became evident to him that instead of staying a close-to-constant weight like he had expected I would, I was actually _losing_ weight. It wasn't much, maybe ten or fifteen pounds, but it was enough to send my entire family into full panic mode. Even Jake, who always seemed to be the least over-dramatic person I cared to associate with, encouraged me to switch my diet back to animal's blood.

I did win out in the end, only after swearing on my life to my family that I would start eating more human food and substitute more blood back into my diet until my weight came back up. Which it was, might I point out.

"It's fine, Dad. Seriously, just go on without me. I'm sure I can find something to eat that's a little more humane right here in La Push. Believe it or not, but Billy does buy food."

My dad chuckled on the other line. "Alright. I will see you later tonight, I love you, my darling."

"Love you too, Dad. Be safe," I answered back, almost seeing my dad's nod of affirmation before the line clicked silent.

"Well, that was easy," Jake grumbled, smiling that grin he always made when he ended up getting his way.

I couldn't help but laugh. "I thought you were asleep," I accused, my eyes slightly narrowing. "And to think, all this time you were only eavesdropping in on my conversation. That's not very becoming, Jacob Black."

Jake just rolled his eyes, "If that's my only turn off, then I'm pretty much set," he joked. "Plus, it's only eavesdropping if you don't know that I'm listening, which you did."

I nodded. "True, but that's definitely not your only turn off."

Jake raised his black eyebrows, "And what else could there possibly be?"

I giggled, shifting my eyes to the bed below us. "Well for one, you are a terrible blanket hog." He opened his mouth to argue, but shut it once again when he realized the majority of the covers were pulled to his side of the bed.

A laugh escaped my lips as I shook my head, climbing over Jake so I could get out of the bed. Too quick, even for me, Jake flipped over, seamlessly pinning me beneath him.

"Now where do you think you're going?" he whispered, his hot breath throwing my heart into overdrive.

He quickly hid the smirk that froze his lips, dropping his head to the crook of my neck. More air escaped his lips before he barely let them touch the skin of my neck.

"Jacob…" I tried to scold him, but my voice was too breathless, too light.

He brought his eyes back to mine, but I couldn't look at them, not when they were filled with so much fire. I put a great deal of effort into breathing evenly and staring at the ceiling.

"Well, now I'm just curious. Would you consider this position one of the many turn offs of mine?" I could feel him staring down at me, but I continued to focus on the ceiling, my heart rate racing.

He kissed the side of my jaw, mouthing my name against my skin. I couldn't stop my breath from hitching in throat, my eyes falling closed with the sensation.

My whole body shook with his laughter, considering our compromising position. I kept my eyes closed as I waited, even hoped, for his lips to press against mine, but of course they never did.

While Jake was perfectly at ease to kiss every other inch of my face, he has never kissed my lips. I was beginning to wonder if he ever would.

My hands relaxed against his hard chest, my eyes opening only to find his still so close. "Can I make a request?" I questioned, my voice starting to even out.

"Anything."

"Will you wear more clothing when you sleep next to me from now on? You're body is really starting to make me lightheaded."

Jake chuckled loudly, kissing my forehead before pulling himself from the bed. "Come on, tiny. Let's go get some breakfast before I eat you alive."

I nodded as I ran my fingers through the tangled mess of my hair, seriously contemplating if being eaten alive by Jake would be such a bad thing.

* * *

After eating a our makeshift breakfast consisting of lumpy pancakes and scrambled eggs, I went back to Jake's room to get dressed.

I quickly found the pair of khaki shorts I had left here from who knows when, slipping into those before searching Jake's near bare closet for a shirt that wouldn't completely tent me.

He came up behind me then, grabbing a red, long sleeve shirt from one of the polar ends of his tiny closet, and handed it to me. I wondered if he realized how his entire bedroom would easily fit three times over into my parents closet alone. Add the closet space of every member of my family and the square footage would exceed that of his entire home.

"Thanks," I muttered, taking the shirt from Jacob's hands. "Turn around."

Jake slowly but surely obeyed my command, I doing the same before replacing the shirt I was wearing with Jake's. It was still very big, nearly hiding my shorts completely, but it would work for today's purposes. It smelled so strongly of him that I couldn't help bringing the sleeve up to my nose before turning back around. Jake was already facing me, smiling.

We found our way into Jake's garage, the tin roof amplifying the tapping of the rain in a way that seemed to fill the entire building. The mix of fresh rain and gasoline was easily one of my favorite smells.

While Jake went straight for the old truck he has been working on for months, I loitered around the rest of building. It wasn't clean, by any means, but it somehow felt organized in a way unnoticeable to me.

I couldn't help but smile down at the plywood and metal framed tables that were scattered around here and there, some of them having never been rearranged since the day I was born. A cork board hung above one, although the cork was no longer visible thanks to the many pictures that monopolized the small space. Most of them were of me, or Jake and I, when I was younger. Jake's scrawl identified each picture with a date and place, reminding me once again of just how quickly I grew up. One image in particular caught my attention, more so than all the rest.

Jake, Emily, Sam, Seth and I were the center of the photograph, but other members of both packs were visible in the background. We were on First Beach, and despite the noticeable sun, wind was whipping our hair and clothing violently in every direction. The date indicated that I was nearly two years old, still small enough to be held like a toddler in Jake's massive arms. Unlike the other three who were smiling effortlessly toward the direction of the camera, Jake's smiling face was pressed against mine, planting a kiss on my presently pudgy cheek. I was beaming, clearly enjoying the attention. We were both so happy. The words, "My little bird," jotted along the bottom.

"How's the walk down memory lane going?"

I looked behind me to find Jake turned awkwardly,visibly unable to remove his hands from their task underneath the hood of the truck, smiling questionably in my direction.

Instead of answering his sarcastic question, I pointed back to the picture. "Where did you get this?"

Jake had already refocused his attention back on the hunk of metal he was determined to revive. His dark brows pushed together as he tightened some part of the engine with a rusted, metal wrench. Or maybe it wasn't the engine, to be honest, it all looks the same to me.

Despite my rather abundant access, I've never really taken an interest in cars. I know which ones are fast, which ones are old, and which ones I'm allowed to drive around Forks, and that seems to be enough for me. Much to my Dad's and Jake's dismay, I take after my mom in this subject.

"Which one?" he grunted, continuing to tighten whatever it was he was tightening. He let out a satisfied breath before turning back to me. "Oh, I have no clue. Probably Emily, but I honestly can't remember."

I nodded, turning back to the picture. It made my heart hurt to know that smiling, innocent little girl was about to rip Jake's life in half.

"Do you not remember that day?" he questioned, his voice filled with surprise. Although it wasn't vampire-level perfect, my memory has always been far better than any human's could physically ever be.

"No, I do. I just haven't thought about it for years. Plus, I can't recall as ever have seeing the picture." I was standing next to Jake now, he eyes less than two feet away from mine.

He simply shrugged his shoulders in response. "I can assure you it's been there for years. Speaking of Emily, we're watching the kids tonight?"

My lips turned up in a guilty smile. "She asked if we could. Apparently her and Sam are meeting up with some friends tonight and I couldn't say "no."

"You couldn't or you didn't want to?"

I laughed, placing my palms on either side of Jake's face. I showed him one of my many memories of playing with Anoki, Mika, and Lucy, Sam and Emily's three kids. "And why on earth would I decline the offer to spend time with these three little rascals?"

Jake chuckled, taking my hands from his cheeks to hold them in his own. He hung his head in mock annoyance. "All the things I do for you.."

Our mixed laughter filled the air.

"Well, c'mon," I said, using all my strength to pull him from the metal stool on which he was sitting.

He easily resisted, humor filling his eyes as he continued to watch me struggle. "And where are we going now?"

"The beach, of course."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It was still raining, but I didn't care. In fact, I was happy it was raining. I was going to miss the near constant cover of clouds and rain that belonged solely to Forks.

With my bare feet being licked by the cool tide, my mind wandered back to the picture I stumbled upon in the garage. I couldn't seem to shake the feeling of...happiness it seemed to bring. Something about the ease of Jake's smile as he kissed my little face made my stomach ache with envy.

I turned around to peek at Jake who was nonchalantly leaning against a fallen tree, carving away at some scrap of wood. His eyebrows were pushed together in the concentration of his work and his cropped, jet black hair fell with the weight of the rain. He looked as excruciatingly beautiful as ever.

I often felt insanely blessed to think that out of all the people in the world, Jake imprinted on _me_. On Renesmee Carlie Cullen. My pulse raced just thinking the words. Of course, no one really knows why or how imprinting works; whether it be an unconscious form of natural selection or simply some wolf version of love at first sight, but the mechanisms don't really matter to me. If Jake's imprinting on me means I get to be his for eternity, then I could never bring myself to care about all the other minute details.

And I love him. At the moment, I'm not really sure as to how much or to what degree, but I'm absolutely positive that I love Jacob Black. This only becomes confusing when you take into account that I've loved him for… well, I've loved him for my entire life. Loving Jake is just as ingrained into my being as the fact that I have brown eyes and wavy hair. It's become a part of me that I've never been tortured with living without.

I watched the waves for a moment longer, as they systematically covered and uncovered my pale toes. Bending down so my knees were tucked against my chest, I began to draw in the soaking sand. I could barely draw a toddler-like sun before the tide washed it away, leaving me with a blank slate once again.

That's what my dad keeps calling Canada, a blank slate, a new beginning, a place to start over. Of course, he says this in a tone of voice as to convince me that this concept is a positive thing, which is a pretty cruel form of blasphemy if you ask me. I gave up with my effort of drawing the sun, quickly pressing a cloud into the sand before the tide erased it completely.

Lost in my own world of thought, I'm frightened when I'm suddenly whisked from my spot on the ground to be held in Jake's arms.

Still breathless from the scare of being lifted so quickly, I asked, "Jake? What are you doing?"

Instead of answering, Jake just smirked, holding me firmly within his arms the same way one would hold a sleeping child. He continued to descend into the gray water, only looking ahead with that smug smile on his lips.

"Jacob Black, you wouldn't dare," I hissed, as he came to a complete halt amidst the waves. I could hear the water sloshing against the bare skin of his torso, figuring by this point his shorts were completely drowned within it. Rain fell directly onto my face as I glared up at him, daring him to look me in the eyes.

While he did look down, his expression didn't change. "Oh, but Miss Cullen, that's what you just don't understand," he replied darkly. "I absolutely would."

And with that Jake tossed me into the freezing water, the ease of the motion having me believe I weigh no more than a pile of dirty laundry. I barely had time to plug my nose before I was completely immersed in the element I was barely touching only moments before.

"Jacob!" I choked, trying to sound intimidating as I pushed my wet hair away from my eyes. My body shivered though I didn't feel cold, no doubt an involuntary human reaction to a sensation lost to my vampire being.

Already swimming towards me, Jake's laugher surmounted the sound of the waves, proclaiming the satisfaction with his work. And with that glorious sound filling the air, I couldn't help but smile, too.

"You were starting to look like you could use some serious spontaneity and I figured the rain had already drenched you through," he explained, directly in front of me now. His enormous hand reached out to push a stray lock of hair away from my face, still laughing.

"You want spontaneity? I'll give you spontaneity," I whispered, diving beneath the waves once more as to be out of Jake's line of sight. Once hidden by the water, I quickly removed Jake's shirt from my body, leaving me in nothing but a sports bra and my shorts.

Once I reappeared, I handed Jake the shirt heavy with water. "I think this belongs to you," I said nonchalantly, well at least that was what I was going for.

Instead of taking the shirt Jake just glared directly at my eyes, all traces of humor gone. "You do not fight fair, Renesmee."

This time it's my turn to laugh as I watch the torment set over his body as Jake does everything in his power to keep his eyes locked on mine, his hands in fists at his side. He reaches forward slightly, as if he planned on grabbing my bare waist, but he resists and drops his balled hands once more.

"Oh, but Mr. Black, that's what you just don't understand," I replied, matching his same tone from earlier. I moved as close as I could to Jake, being very careful that our skin didn't touch, before whispering, "I never claimed I would."

Jake's burning within the water, in every sense of the word, I just lit that man on fire. His eyes close and his body starts to shake, his fists clenching tighter and tighter beneath the ocean surface. So fast that it's even difficult for me to follow, Jake is on the beach once again, phasing completely before he even hits the forest.

Still holding his shirt, I slide it over my head before slowly making my way towards the shoreline. A nervous laugh escapes my lips as I think, "Did he know I could even do that?"

* * *

After waiting for Jake for a good ten minutes, I give up and decide to just run home. I may not be as fast as my mom or dad, but it only takes me about five minutes to get from La Push back to the cottage in Forks.

I have already changed into a dry pair of clothes and made myself a pretty decent ham and cheese omelet when Jake barges through the door, a fully dressed and dry human once more.

"Well, hello there," I mumbled around a bite of omelet, quickly chasing it down with some water after realizing it's still much too hot to consume. "Can I get you anything to eat?"

I can tell he's angry with me, but I try to act like I don't notice. Patiently blowing on another bite of food, I waited quite calmly for him to speak.

Jake runs his hands through his hair, coming to stand on the other side of the table so he is directly in front of me. His eyes catch mine for a moment, searching, even pleading for answers, but he says nothing before looking away once again.

"Look, Jake," I began, slowly placing my fork down on my plate. "I really had n-"

"You made… I was… We were just…" Jake fought hard to find the words, but it wasn't difficult to tell he was drawing a blank. Finally, a whispered, "You're Dad's gonna kill me," escaped his lips.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down there, who said anything about telling my Dad?" I questioned, anxiety starting to raise the pitch of my voice.

"You're kidding, right?" Jake said, his sarcasm thick. "When has anyone ever had to tell your dad anything?"

"Well, then don't think about it and-"

My words are swallowed by the sound of Jake's fist hitting the counter top. "Don't think about it?!" he yelled, running his hand through his hair once again. "Nessie, I don't think you understand what you do to me, what you just did!" He paced the small area of the kitchen for a moment, his words filling the space between us with with the tension rolling off of his body.

I waited for his pacing to slow before opening my mouth. "I didn't know, I mean, I didn't mean to cause any harm. I won't do it again, Jake, I swear. I'm sorry."

Stopping in his tracks, Jake lets off a big sigh. He comes over to the stool at which I'm seated, wrapping his arms tightly around me. "Don't apologize, please. It's nothing that you did, I just wasn't quite prepared for how I reacted." His voice was calm, and I easily believed him. I nodded against his chest.

"It's always there, Nessie, but… I have never _wanted _something so badly in all my life. It just took me by surprise, that's all." Jake backed away from me slightly, giving himself the ability to read my face.

"Ok," I replied, reading his as well. Something in his eyes looked guarded, hidden, and I could tell there was something he was not telling me. "But there's something else."

Jake focused on something behind my head for a moment, and when he refocused back on me it was like the gates had opened up. "There's been a slight change in plans. Embry caught the scent of some vamp passing through, heading straight for what appears to be Montana. It's no big deal, but Sam and I think it would be a good idea to make sure he makes no pit stops along the way."

"Is it a scent you recognize? Maybe it's someone my grandpa knows, although I don't think we're expecting anyone…" My sentence trails off as Jake continues to shake his head.

"No, the leech's scent is unfamiliar to both packs. I'm sure it's just some nomad passing through. Like I said, it's no big deal." He smiles at the end of his statement, but it doesn't touch his eyes.

"So you're leaving," I summarized, watching as the muscles of his forehead pulled together. He was hoping to avoid this part of the conversation, I'm sure.

"Look, I know it's bad timing with the move and everything, but it's what's best for the good people of Washington," he adds the last part sarcastically. "You know it's my job to protect them from…"

Jake doesn't finish his sentence, although the ending is implied. I stand up then, breaking away from Jake's grasp, and take my food over to the sink. While there's still close to half the amount of omelet left, I let it run down the disposal, having completely lost my appetite.

It was always difficult when he left, but his reasons for going quite literally doubled the pain. Trust me, I understand there are dangerous vampires out there. Vampires who murder, and lie, and steal, and destroy; I know this. I've been face to face with the most dangerous of our kind, and I've seen how very real their threats can be. But, even after all of that, I still feel empathy for them. We are all servants to the same all-powerful king. Blood. I cannot justify ripping others like me apart simply because they're doing the only thing they know how. I've never expected Jake to understand this, but I've never given in to his mindset, as well. He doesn't live with a fire scorching his throat away every day.

"Don't be mad, Ness," Jake pleads, although he doesn't come any closer to me.

I take a deep breath, giving myself a moment as to give him an honest answer before turning back around. "I'm not mad, Jake."

"Well, you're not happy either," he retorts, falling heavily onto our couch.

"Happy about you leaving? Don't hold your breath," I mumble, going to sit down next to him. Jake's right arm naturally snakes it's way around my body, pulling me closer to his chest. We don't say anything for a moment, just sit a tangled mess of dark and light limbs on the couch.

While I'm perfectly content to stay like this for the rest of the night, I have to ask the question I dread most. "When?"

Another sigh escapes his lips before Jake says, "Today, tonight actually." I feel his lips press against the top of my head, and I know he's apologizing.

I wish Jake didn't leave. I wish he wasn't some legendary werewolf protector, and I wish I wasn't some never-heard-of half vampire, half human hybrid. I wish we were just some completely boring, completely stereotypical, and completely human teenagers.

"So I guess we're not tending the kids tonight?" I question, turning so I can look at Jake's eyes.

He laughs, so quietly that I can feel it more than hear it, before mumbling, "No, we're not tending the kids tonight." A smile plays on the edge of his mouth as he looks down at my eyes, too.

"Bummer," I whisper, snuggling deeper into his chest. From here, I know he can't see the tears already spilling down my cheeks.


End file.
